The first bicycle lane appeared on Manchester city streets — on Chestnut Street downtown — last month. (MARK HAYWARD / UNION LEADER)
Manchester passed a milestone last month when the first bicycle lane appeared in the city, on a five-block stretch of downtown Chestnut Street.

I haven’t seen many bicyclists use it. But it’s a start, and it shows that bicycle culture has shifted into cruising gear in the Queen City.

“People want to be more physically fit, get outdoors and do something fun,” said bicyclist Kevin Gray, a software engineer who could be a poster child for bicycling. “Biking gives you that wind in your face, and a little speed. It gets the adrenaline going.”

Of course, there is a lot of law bending going on when it comes to riding on sidewalks, which is illegal, as well as the lack of bicycle helmets, which are required for anyone under 16.

Already, there are two bicycle organizations in the city. Bike Manchester is an advocacy group that advocates for making Manchester a more bicycle friendly city by installing bicycle racks and the aforementioned bicycle lanes. Manchester Community Bike Ride is a well-mannered bike gang that meets downtown on Friday nights for a citywide bike ride.

All this is because there are more people out plying the city. They bicycle for all different reasons. The accompanying photos offer a rundown on a few of them.

The Bicycle Poster Child

Name: Kevin Gray

Age: 36

Occupation: Engineer, Dyn

Why: Commutes to work, noontime exercise.

Ride: 2012 Cannondale Slice. Lists for $1,300, but bought on clearance for $800.